Multilayered Expertise
PSR West Coast Builders Inc.’s depth of specialized capabilities sets it apart
PSR West Coast Builders Inc. (PSR) is like a wooden Matryoshka doll, or Russian nesting doll, where each one opens to reveal another inside. Within the multistate, general contracting company are two subsidiaries that form a framework of specialties and services—supporting the overall standard of quality its clients receive.
The subsidiary companies, PSR Western State Builders and Construction Trade Support Services, offer clients a full array of self-performed services, from plumbing, electrical, drywall, painting—and even concrete floor grinding and polishing—all under one roof. Where other builders may subcontract out the bulk of specialty work, PSR keeps its team close and unified.
When PSR does use subcontractors, they are craftsmen with whom the company has built relationships over time, across Texas and throughout the Western U.S. Vice President of Operations Jeff Randall says that since the bulk of PSR’s work is for retail clients, it doesn’t make sense to utilize untested subcontractors who could delay a project.
“Our people recognize that time is money,” Randall says. “Stockholders and investors need stores open by their grand opening dates. It’s just that simple.”
In addition to building and remodeling over 100 specialty grocery stores, PSR has completed projects for Costco, Smart & Final Stores, Inc., Walgreens and Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria, and Oportun Bank, as well as various fitness centers in the Western U.S.
PSR plans to develop a design-build division that will handle projects in the 5,000- to 50,000-square-foot range. Randall says the company also plans to add more epoxy flooring jobs. Demand is up, with food service businesses being asked to comply to new standards of cleanable work areas. Large industrial warehouses need surfaces that can be scrubbed, sealed and cleaned but can also withstand heavy weight, with anti-slip coatings on floors to increase safety.
Involved Ownership
With tenant improvements a big part of its business, PSR has over 60 employees who serve a robust cycle of repeat customers. Randall says the fact that Owner Peter Schadek is knowledgeable and hands-on is a major company strength.
Schadek travels to visit clients and the worksites three days a week and personally handles 90% of the company’s sales. Schadek will work with clients on upcoming leases and come up with budgets so clients can more adequately plan. “We’re good at reviewing and understanding leases to help our clients get the most for their money,” Schadek says, which may include saving time on a build-out, as well.
One potential cost savings often presented to clients are variable refrigerant flow, or VRF systems, for existing retail facilities and new build-outs. VRF allows each room or office space’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning to be controlled separately, reducing energy costs. It can be installed with minimal ductwork.
Anticipating the Unforeseen
Meeting deadlines means predicting—and being prepared for—project complications, Schadek says. But knowing what to be aware of in terms of potential delays should also mean knowing how long they might take to fix. Inexperienced contractors unfamiliar with second- and third-generation buildings may not realize what to look for at which stage of a project, which can cause delays and cost overruns. “If we have to, we’ll do multiple shifts” to get a renovation done on time, says Schadek. “It takes a really good understanding of what needs to be done and what should happen when.”
Uncertainty is also a formidable factor in construction. For example, a structure on a concrete slab can be problematic, Schadek says, because crews aren’t sure if it needs replacing or repairing until the flooring has been removed. Additionally, working with utility companies in different states creates variations. Some may move faster than others in hooking up power. Municipal officials vary in how quickly they can carry out building inspections, which are needed for a project to proceed. Then, of course, weather is always a factor beyond a general contractor’s control.
Supplier issues can bring delays without proper time allowances in place, too. Those issues may have nothing to do with the relationship with that vendor, either: Last fall, global import tariff increases in materials and equipment to manufacture them delayed some materials PSR needed for projects, Schadek says. It was unable to get certain lighting materials from electrical suppliers, for example. To work around the obstacles, it was PSR redesign skills to the rescue, he says, keeping projects on track and within budget.
Having backup plans, ample time and smart solutions are make-it-or-break-it skills in retail construction, Schadek says. All are part of PSR’s way of doing business. “We are always thinking ahead of what we can do for a client,” Randall says.
Focused to the Finish
Sometimes finding solutions forces PSR to get creative. Such situations present challenges the company is happy to accept.
Randall tells of a California client, YogaWorks, Inc., whose owners thought they could renew their lease. But as it turned out, they could not. PSR built the company a temporary yoga studio until a new space was secured and renovated. “We got them moved into the temporary studio in a very short amount of time, so they didn’t lose too much revenue,” he says.
Torrential rains are also no match for PSR crews. Randall recalls a project where the front of a grocery store had to be removed to create an open-space concept. But PSR team members discovered that a wall set for removal about 25 feet inside the store was a shear wall—meant to withstand lateral forces like wind—and would need support before demolition, Randall recalls.
“The existing front of the store would have had to have been removed so that could become the new shear wall,” he says Removing part of the roof structure was also needed. So unique measures were put into place.
“We had to do it with tenting—remove 30 feet of roof, using scaffolding, and rebuild it all with new walls—during a busy, rainy season,” he says. Despite soggy conditions, the project was done on time.
Calm in a Crisis
There have been instances where PSR has jumped into action to help clients impacted by emergencies long after construction is complete. This is a testament to the loyal relationships the company has built over the years.
Schadek says PSR showed up after an earthquake with an electrical generator to get the power running in a store, helping it get back up and running 18 hours later. PSR also arranged for a city inspection, so locals would have a place to purchase groceries during a time of need.
In Antioch, California, he says, a child started a fire in a grocery store aisle. After calling 911, the store’s maintenance team called PSR. “It was a three-day weekend, and they called us on a Sunday night,” Schadek remembers. The fire department had cut the ceiling open in order to ventilate the smoke-filled store. The roof had to be repaired before the store could reopen—which it did—26 hours later. PSR was able to work with the local building and health departments to arrange inspections and approvals so the public could be allowed back in.
Cars that go through clients’ places of businesses—or that almost do—cause damage to the structures. In these instances, PSR will be dispatched to shore up the structure temporarily and contact local building officials, getting the structure deemed safe for reopening.
From the more dramatic situations where immediate construction repairs are needed, to more routine start-to-finish design, framing and ground-up construction, PSR and its in-house specialty tradespeople are making a difference for their clients, offering them access to a trustworthy, skilled team to make their projects a reality.
Business journalist Susan Shalhoub owns Orlando-based Plum Editorial and develops feature articles for companies in construction-related industries.